Approaching April 20th, different people were preparing themselves for how they would spend Easter. While there are a lot of different cultural practices, we are going to focus on how Gateway students and staff spend Easter. For some families, it’s a calmer holiday with an Eastern basket, but for others it is an important religious holiday that goes much deeper.
Senior Seraphina Abbruzzese shared how she celebrates Easter and what it means to her, “Well, I am a Christian, so I celebrate Easter to remember the resurrection of Jesus Christ! But, there would not be a resurrection without a death, and so it’s also a reminder of the blood shed to wash me clean off my sins. And the resurrection is a reminder that God Is Not Dead! He’s surely alive and the power that raised Christ from the dead lives inside of me! It’s just a reminder of Jesus’s sacrificial love!”
Seraphina is an example of Easter meaning much more than what has been commercialized in the media. It’s a day to embrace her religion even more than she does on a normal day.
Gateway guidance counselor, Ms. Powell, also shared her family’s traditions regarding Easter: “I’m pretty traditional. I go to church in the morning and sit with my mom and aunt. In the afternoon, my extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins all go to my aunts house for dinner. We have ham, which I don’t eat – so I get double the Mac & Cheese. Of course, we have deviled eggs which is a MUST. Someone usually brings a spring-themed dessert. Then everybody hangs out for a while before going our separate ways. I usually go home and take a nap.”
While Ms. Powell’s celebration is simple, it’s family-centered, which is always good! On a similar note, Mrs. Slater’s Easter is very centered around her kids and their enjoyment of the holiday. She makes her kids special Easter pancakes that are in the shape of a bunny (with M&M eyes!), makes her kids Easter baskets — which her kids know are made from their parents, and then have them do an Easter Egg Hunt that the kids are told is set up by the Easter Bunny. While this isn’t a religious approach, it is equally special!
Senior Laurel Barrett and her dad’s side of the family have a unique way of celebrating the holiday. She shares, “I celebrate Russian Orthodox Easter with my dad’s side. We used to all get together when they lived closer and have a traditional dinner of kielbasa, sauerkraut, and my grandmother’s famous mushrooms. Now it’s just on a smaller scale since much of my family resides in Florida. We would play the egg cracking game where you go around the table clinking hard-boiled dyed eggs together until there is one person left whose egg didn’t crack.That person gets an extra dose of good luck for the year.”
Another student, who would like to remain anonymous, is another example of a family going the ‘traditional route: “I celebrate Easter every year by going downstairs once I wake up and seeing everything that’s in my (Easter) basket, and then I get ready for Church. Afterwards, the family comes over for dinner and dessert!”
Gateway has a variety of students who are of different religions. So while not everyone was featured in this article, they are here. There are also Gators who do not celebrate Easter, and that’s also important to mention. Overall, our community has a variety of ways to celebrate the holiday, and each tradition is equally special!
